The Greatest Gift
by Blue Rogue Linds
Summary: Ren's family and friends have forgotten all about his eleventh birthday. He pretends not to care or take notice, but struggles to hide how hurt he feels. Things take a drastic turn when Masato barges in his room and demands to know what's bothering him.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters, songs, etc. They belong to Broccoli.

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The Jinguuji estate was quiet that evening. Several high-profile business owners and stocks analysts had gathered in the main dining hall to discuss an important merger. Their meeting left the rest of the house open to a mischievous group of children...

Ren, the estate's youngest heir, was holed up in his room. It was quite unusual since he was the one who initiated almost everything considered 'dangerous' or 'rambunctious.' Instead, he curled up at the edge of his room and stared out the window.

His brothers were busy with work. His father was away on a trip. Even his friends failed to take notice of him. It was almost as if they were avoiding him.

"I hate Valentine's Day," he grumbled.

The door behind him creaked open and a sliver of light penetrated the perpetual darkness. Ren turned and glanced over his shoulder. A slight smile ghosted over his lips and he stood from his seat beside the window. As the older child, he was responsible for his emotions. Making his little cousin wonder and worry about his distraught behavior was not something he wanted to do.

The girl in the doorway took a quick glance around the dark room and asked him, "Why are you in here all by yourself?"

"I didn't want to bother Ranmaru or Masato," Ren answered unevenly and scratched the back of his head, struggling for an excuse, "they said they were busy with something. I thought you were helping them with whatever?"

Sachi didn't look convinced. "Well, I got bored, so I came downstairs to find _you_."

Sweat gathered around Ren's forehead and his open palms. He spun around and faced the window in a feeble attempt to hide his foul mood. A hoarse squeak echoed as he inquired, "D-Do you know what day it is, Sachi?"

"It's Sunday, silly! Why would you ask such a weird question?"

"I-It's nothing," said the older boy with a dejected sigh, "and you don't have to stay just because of me. Go play with Masato or something..."

She had forgotten, just like everyone else.

Thoroughly wounded, Ren resumed his empty stargazing. He peeked over his shoulder and saw that Sachi had indeed left him alone. A new sense of guilt compounded his melancholy.

Ren mentally slapped himself. _"I shouldn't have fussed at her."_

Who was to blame? His oversized ego? That insatiable appetite for attention and affection?

His shoulders slumped and he sank lower into the carpet. Although he pretended not to care about his birthday, the pain brought on by his family's sudden absence was excruciating. It was much worse than he anticipated.

"Get over it, Ren," he spoke aloud in the dark room, "it's just another stupid day of the week. Sunday, remember?"

Now he was just scaring himself.

He heaved another sigh and propped his elbows on the window sill. The night sky glittered like a sea of diamonds. The stars, in all their brilliance and glory, could offer him no solace. They were just as cold and distant as his loved ones.

"Now _that's _pathetic," a familiar voice commented from behind.

Ren balled his hands into fists and whirled around to meet his tormentor. But his anger melted into hopeless frustration when he spotted the intruder in the doorway.

"I heard what you said to Sachi." Masato flipped the light switch, temporarily impairing his friend. He studied the older boy for a moment and scowled in his direction. "If you're feeling lousy, then that's fine. Just don't take it out on other people."

Anger reignited within Ren's vivid, blue eyes. "I-I didn't mean anything by it! It was a misunderstanding!"

"What are you so ticked off about? No one has done a thing to you..." The dark-haired boy folded his small arms across his chest and cocked an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

Ren simply spun around and turned to the window. "Nothing."

"Liar." Masato crossed the room and stood next to him.

Silence passed between the two boys. The taller stared intently at the night sky, trying desperately to ignore the impertinent gaze of his junior. There was nowhere left to run or hide. He was stuck in the room with him, right next to him. He was a volatile mix of heated emotions ready to boil over.

"_What _is your problem?! G-Get out of here!" he shrieked and turned to Masato, waving his arms like an escaped lunatic. But his outburst didn't faze his friend a bit. He cleared his throat and took Ren by the hand, calmly explaining,

"There's something you should see."

Ren didn't get a chance to protest either. He was dragged out of his room and herded upstairs, toward the open shaft that led to the roof. Masato stepped aside and beckoned for him to climb the ladder first. But Ren wasn't the slightest bit interested.

"Nothing is up there but a bunch of benches and dead plants. We _both _know that."

Masato rolled his eyes skyward and shoved him. "Just climb."

"This is so stupid..." mumbled the blond as he inched up the ladder with Masato on his heels. He pushed the trap door open and emerged on the roof of his family's lavish house. It was dark and chilly, prompting a shiver. "See? There's nothing up here and - "

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"_

Light flooded the roof and revealed a scene entirely different from what he expected. A couple of tables were near benches, filled with sweets and boxes covered in colorful paper. Balloons floated from the floral arrangements around the rooftop, swaying in the cool, evening breeze. Sachi appeared behind Ren and strapped a tiny paper crown over his head.

"Are you surprised?" she asked in a sprightly tone.

"Just look at his face," Ranmaru spoke suddenly and stepped out of the shadows. He clapped his big hand on Ren's and Masato's shoulders. "Open your hands and close your eyes."

Ren swallowed hard and did as his senior commanded. Something light and metallic dropped into his hands. He cracked his eyes open and beheld the glittering bauble with great curiosity.

Sachi held a similar trinket aloft and chirped, "They're friendship rings!"

"We all have one. See?" Ranmaru gestured to the silver chain around his neck, identical to the one in Ren's hand.

A smile stretched Masato's mouth, shocking Ren. "Cliche, but cute. Don't you think?"

"You thought we'd forgotten about you, right?" Sachi's tiny fingers wrapped around Ren's free hand. She leaned on her cousin's arm and shook her head, chiming, "I'm sorry I made you feel worse by answering like that earlier..."

It was that moment when Ren swapped his somber outlook for a more cheery, realistic one. He pulled Sachi closer and pet her head. His other arm dragged Masato nearer by his shoulders, to which he clearly objected by squirming in his embrace.

The older teen poked his head between them and cooed, "Aw, aren't you guys adorable..."

"Get off of me, Ren..." Masato growled with displeasure and attempted to wiggle free once more. But his resistance only furthered Ren's obvious amusement, and he smashed Masato's face near his arm pit. "Ugh, cut it out! Let...go!"

Sachi tilted her head to one side and pointed ahead of them. "Is that a camera?"

Masato paled in horror as Ren chuckled and locked his head in place, rendering him immobile. He could feel Ranmaru's huge arms wrap around all of them as he yelled,

"Say cheese!"

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**A/N: **Just so everyone knows, Ren is eleven, Masato is ten, Sachi is nine and Ranmaru is fourteen in this story. I got a lot of positive feedback for my earlier one-shot featuring these kids, so I thought I'd give it another go. I wanted to write a lighter mood because the last one was so heavy, emotional-wise. Comments of all kinds are welcome! :)


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